Do you have someone on your holiday shopping list that is trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle, someone who has expressed an interest in improving their eating habits, getting more physically active, living a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly life? Maybe they're just having a hard time getting started or committing to change? Well, I've put together a list of my favourite gift ideas for someone trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle just in time for the holidays that will hopefully help you find them that perfect gift.
A gift card from Well.ca, Naturamarket.ca, or a local health/natural food store. It can be hard to spend money on a product that you're not sure you're going to like or will work for you, but having a gift card to a health/natural food store or an online store specializing in healthy, natural products can definitely make it easier! If you have any recommendations for products you love, include those as well!
A delivery from The Balanced Snack Box, a Canadian company specializing in selecting a variety of healthy, high-quality, natural and clean-ingredient snacks, packing them all together in a box and delivering them right to your door. You can order a Balanced Snack Box with 5 to 8 full-size healthy snacks or a Mini Snacker with 12 to 15 individual sized snacks, perfect for someone looking to try some new healthier snacks, and much more affordable than buying everything individually.
Put together your own gift basket for them full of products and/or food items to help them get started and encourage them on their journey towards a healthier lifestyle. For example, include items such as healthier oils and condiments (a good quality olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil), raw nuts and seeds, healthier baking ingredients (whole wheat/almond/coconut flours, coconut sugar, flax meal, dark chocolate, unsweetened applesauce), a new water bottle, teas and a new mug, a reusable lunch bag (encouraging them to pack a healthy lunch), reusable storage containers (perfect for meal prepping), a sleep mask, or some all-natural beauty products (deodorant, make up, body lotion, etc.).
If they enjoy cooking and spending time in the kitchen, purchase them some healthy cooking classes from a local cooking school, where they can learn about healthier ingredient choices, and practice preparing healthy meals for themselves and their family. This will provide them with a good selection of healthier recipes that they can incorporate into their weekly meal rotation, and hopefully motivate them to create some of their own!
Treat them to a consult or one-on-one session with a nutrition coach, nutritionist or dietician. Taking a close look at your diet, getting some guidance on what to add, eliminate or limit in your diet, and learning how to fuel your body to feel better, is a great way to start the journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
Take them to your gym with you, or buy them a one-week/one-month trial at a local gym or yoga/fitness studio. Most gyms or yoga/fitness studios allow you to bring a friend to try out a class or use the equipment and assess the facility, which is a great way to help them figure out if it will work for them. Alternatively, purchase them a pass for trial period, allowing them to pick and choose when they want to go and what classes/equipment they want to try.
A pedometer/fitness tracker or at home fitness equipment will help keep them accountable and more likely to maintain a new fitness or exercise program. Tracking daily steps or measuring distance or duration, and seeing progress and improvement on a daily basis is a great motivator and will definitely help them meet their healthier lifestyle goals. A home gym does not have to be elaborate or consist of a lot of equipment. Some light hand weights, resistance bands, a skipping rope, and a yoga mat can provide the means for an excellent workout.
While these are definitely some of my favourite gift suggestions to help someone pursue a healthier lifestyle, the best gift you can give is your support, encouragement and time. Having a support system is key to succeeding, and having someone to share the journey with makes it that much more enjoyable and easier to maintain.
